Where does “mage” come from?
Mage comes from Middle English mages, from Latin magus, from Ancient Greek μάγος, ultimately from Ancient Greek Μάγος.
mage (English): A magician, wizard or sorcerer
Definitions
- A magician, wizard or sorcerer
Ancestry of “mage”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle English | mages | Wizards, occult scholars; those with great... |
| 2 | Latin | magus | magic, magical; magician, and derogatorily... |
| 3 | Ancient Greek | Μάγος | magician, and derogatorily sorcerer, trickster,... |
| 4 | Old Persian | 𐎶𐎦𐏁 | priest |
| 5 | Proto-Iranian | magúš | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | magʰúš | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | megʰ-ú-s | — |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | megʰ- | to be able |